Stamba Hotel

This former Soviet-era publishing house has been transformed into a design-centric hotel with on-point interiors, a glass-bottomed pool and a grand café which serves modern takes on traditional Georgian dishes. It perfectly encapsulates a city on the cusp of change.

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£

232

per night

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Location

9/10

On Kostava Street, at one end of Rustaveli Avenue. This is Tbilisi’s main artery, which is lined with a number of grand governmental and cultural buildings from the Georgian National Opera Theatre to the former Parliament of Georgia building and the Kashveti Church. At the other end of this one-mile-long thoroughfare is Freedom Square, which lies adjacent to the picturesque old town.

Style & character

9/10

The original brick and concrete building (once a Soviet-era publishing house) has been reshaped to showcase the brutalist splendour of this 20th-century landmark. In the lobby, four floors were removed – leaving just the remaining structural pillars to create a soaring expanse, crowned with a glass-bottomed rooftop pool. This is softened by a floor-to-ceiling wall of books, a design element that you will also see in the light-filled guestrooms. The landings on each floor meanwhile, have been decorated with custom-designed botanical-inspired wallpaper by local artist Maya Sumbadze, which further soften the building’s concrete bones.

Service & facilities

9/10

It’s all about the public spaces here. The soaring expanse of Café Stamba, with its own rotisserie, melds into a deliciously fragrant coffee bar and chocolatier. This opens up onto a buzzing outdoor terrace, which looks onto the hotel's gardens, a vast quadrangle also used as a mini amphitheatre and outdoor exhibition space. On the other side of the gardens is an adjoining building with a co-working space and bar on the ground floor. Meanwhile, back in the main hotel building, there is a rooftop pool and restaurant with views of the city, while the ground floor and basement are reserved for a chic casino, in keeping with Tbilisi's gambling culture.

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Rooms

8/10

Rooms are light-filled and spacious, thanks to high ceilings and massive windows, which were punched out of the concrete. A floor-to-ceiling wall of books, plush creamy carpet, leather headboards and an unstructured linen sofa soften the industrial feel from the exposed brick. Glazed red floor tiles, a gilded standalone bathtub and brass shower unit define the bathroom. There is a small in-room safe and a killer minibar stocked with all sorts of snacks and drinks, a fancy coffee bean grinder, a mini espresso machine, a cocktail kit and, just in case, an old school hi-fi stereo to boot.

Food & drink

8/10

The curb-side Café Stamba draws in as many hotel guests as it does locals, with its easy, approachable menu of western dishes from whole roast chicken to grilled salmon; and Georgian classics such as Chakapuli (lamb stew) and a range of different types of khachapuri (cheese-filled flat bread) straight from the oven. Have a glass of Georgian wine from one of the nearby vineyards, or perhaps a sip on a chocolate Lagidze – a Georgian soft drink based on soda. On a warm summer’s evening, head out onto the terrace for dessert or just to soak up the convivial vibe.